Rolling cylindrical cotton modules laterally

ABSTRACT

A conveyor delivers a series of cylindrical wrapped fibrous modules to a station where the module is lifted off the conveyor and an operation conducted on the module. One operation is to find a tail, or unattached segment, of the cover. Another operation is to remove the cover, by slitting and then unwinding it. The cover is delivered to a storage area and the contents of the module are delivered into a hopper, or in some embodiments, into a disperser. In some embodiments, a grabber moves the slit cover from adjacent a slitting position to a storage area and includes a guide wheel for moving a conveyor up and down in response to the configuration of the round module. In one embodiments, the plastic cover is removed manually by workers guiding the plastic wrap as it is unrolled by the unrolling device.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/904,208,filed Sep. 26, 2007 and is based on provisional application Ser. No.60/847,158 filed Sep. 26, 2006 and is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 11/350,314, filed Feb. 3, 2006.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing a wrappingor cover from cylindrical modules of fibrous materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Although this invention has potential application for handling othercylindrical bales of fibrous materials, it will mainly be described inconjunction with its most imminent and important application, which isthe handling of cylindrical seed cotton modules.

Handling of seed cotton from the time it is picked, or stripped, in thefield until it enters a cotton gin has evolved over the years. Fiftyyears ago, seed cotton was dumped into small trailers and hauled to thegin. This was supplanted by cotton module technology where cotton from apicker/stripper is delivered to a module builder on the edge of thefield. A large rectangular cotton module is made by alternately dumpingseed cotton into the builder and then packing the cotton. The module isdischarged from the module builder onto the ground and the top iscovered with a plastic tarpaulin or cover. Later, the module is pickedup by a special module retriever truck and hauled to the gin where it isstored, almost always outside, along with a large number of othermodules until the gin is ready to handle this particular module. Themodule is then picked up by the same or similar module truck and hauledto a module feeder. The plastic cover is removed and the module conveyedto a disperser where the module is disintegrated and the cotton fibersare delivered to the gin. Cotton module technology, expensive as it is,is considerably more efficient, all things considered, than haulingloose cotton in cotton trailers. Accordingly, cotton module technologycompletely replaced cotton trailers and has been the standard of theindustry for several decades.

Current cotton module technology has its problems. A major problem iscaused by the fact that module builders discharge the packed cottonmodule onto the ground. Even though the cotton is fairly tightly packedand attempts are made to position the cotton modules on fairly highground, there is always the potential for water to collect around thebase of the module and wick up into the module, damaging a bottom layerof the cotton to an extent where it cannot be ginned. Six inches or afoot of damaged cotton on the bottom of a module will be seen to be asignificant part of a module ten feet high. In addition, the plasticcovers on top of the module, which are intended to shed water, are notperfect. The worst thing that can happen is for the cover to have, ordevelop, a hole where rain enters and damages the seed cotton resultingin the loss of an entire module. Conventional rectangular cotton modulesweigh in the range of 18,000 to 26,000 pounds and contain 5,000-9,000pounds of lint cotton so it is easy to see the extent of potentiallosses.

Disclosures of interest are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,989,252; 4,776,648and 6,332,426.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In response to these problems, it has been proposed to make cylindricalcotton modules which are wrapped in plastic in such a manner that theplastic wrap covers the cylindrical sides of the module and part of theends so water cannot enter the module to an extent sufficient to damagea significant part of the cotton. In a way, cylindrical is a slightmisnomer because the modules are often flat on the bottom after sittingon the ground for an extended period or have bumps and valleys in theperimeter. These modules are often called round modules which is equallya misnomer for the same reasons. A significant problem is that not allmodules are full size and some modules are not cylindrical. In additionto humps and hollows, a significant number of modules are tapered. Anysystem intended for wide acceptance must be flexible enough to handlenormal variations in size and shape.

The current generation of cylindrical modules is about one quarter theweight of conventional rectangular modules or about 5,000 pounds. Theproblem addressed by this invention is to completely remove the plasticwrap in an efficient, expeditious, reliable and inexpensive manner anddeliver the unwrapped module into a hopper, which acts as a disperserhaving an open top rather than the customary open front, so it may bebroken apart in a more-or-less conventional manner and delivered to agin. It is apparent that other fibrous agricultural products may besimilarly wrapped, such as corn stover, kenaf, hemp and the likealthough the problems in unwrapping such modules are very different forreasons which will become apparent. This application is a counterpart toapplication Ser. No. 11/350,314, filed Feb. 3, 2006, which isincorporated herein by reference.

In one embodiment of this invention, cylindrical cotton modules that arewrapped with a cover are transported by a conveyor toward a hopper wherethe modules will ultimately be disintegrated. Adjacent an end of theconveyor, the module is picked up off the conveyor so one or moreoperations may be conducted on it. More specifically, the module ispicked up and rotated for one or more reasons, usually to find anidentifying device indicating the origin of the module, to locate aloose tail of the wrapping, to slit the module in a location that leavesthe loose tail intact and then to unwrap the protective cover from themodule contents.

Preferably before the module is slit, the plastic wrapping is grasped insuch a manner that it is prevented from falling or being dragged intothe hopper, for reasons more fully apparent hereinafter. The module isslit at a location adjacent and above the hopper so that any cottonspilling from the module falls, or is induced to fall, into the hopper.After the module is slit, it rolls, is pushed or the conveyor dischargesit into the hopper so the cotton spills into the hopper and, in oneembodiment, the wrapping remains attached to the grasping mechanism. Inother embodiments, the wrapping is removed from the module by rotatingthe module.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus forhandling cylindrical wrapped modules and removing the wrapping.

Another object of this invention is to provide a technique for removinga cover from cylindrical seed cotton modules in an expeditious manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide a technique forunwrapping a plastic covered module and delivering the contents to ahopper.

A further object of this invention is to provide subsystems for handlingthe module, specifically slitting the plastic and unwrapping the module.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will becomemore fully apparent as this description proceeds, reference being madeto the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a module feeder of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a wrapped cylindrical module showing thewrap in one rotational direction;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a wrapped cylindrical module showing thewrap in the opposite rotational direction;

FIG. 4 is a top view of another embodiment of a module feeder of thisinvention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the hopper shown in FIG.4, taken substantially along line 5-5 thereof as viewed in the directionindicated by the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged isometric view of a disperser drum used inthe hopper of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a conveyor used in another embodiment ofthis invention;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the conveyor of FIG. 7 illustrating a raisingand rotating device in a retracted position where it acts as part of theconveyor;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, illustrating the raising androtating device in a position to rotate the module;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIGS. 8-9 illustrating the raising androtating device in a position to roll the module into the hopper;

FIG. 11 is another embodiment of a roller bed conveyor usable in thisinvention;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a conveyor used in another embodiment ofthis invention;

FIG. 13 is a end view of the conveyor of FIG. 12 illustrating a raisingand rotating device in an inoperative retracted position;

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 illustrating the raising androtating device in a position similar to FIG. 9 to rotate the module;and

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIGS. 13-14 illustrating the raising androtating device in a position to roll the module into the hopper;

FIG. 16 is a view illustrating a slitter and grabber in an operativeposition relative to a round module;

FIG. 17 is an isometric view of part of the grabber shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is an isometric view of the grabber part of FIG. 17 in anoperative position;

FIG. 19 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 16 illustrating anotherembodiment of the follower wheels that position the ends of the plasticwrap inlet conveyor;

FIG. 20 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 17 illustrating thefollower wheels of FIG. 18 in an operative position;

FIG. 21 is a view, similar to FIG. 5 showing another embodiment of thisinvention;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged view of a grappler shown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is an isometric view of another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 24 is a schematic view of a slitter and grabber of this invention;

FIG. 25 is a pictorial view of the mechanism for raising and loweringthe slitter and/or grabber;

FIG. 26 is a schematic top view of the slitter of FIG. 24;

FIG. 27 is a view of the gantry showing the module 12 in the process ofbeing picked up;

FIG. 28 is a view similar to FIG. 24 showing the use of a platform onwhich workers stand to pull the plastic wrap off the module;

FIG. 29 is a side view of a front end loader equipped with an implementsimilar to the rotating device of this invention;

FIG. 30 is a top view of the loader of FIG. 28 approaching a modulefeeder; and

FIG. 31 is a top view of the loader of FIG. 28 approaching a hopper withno conveyor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a module feeder 10 of a typethat is capable of handling cylindrical seed cotton modules 12 that arewrapped with a cover or wrapping 14 that is sufficient to shed water.The current cover proposed for use in wrapping seed cotton modules is anorganic polymer, or plastic, but it will be understood that thisinvention is usable with any suitable material that is effective to shedwater and it is desired to keep the wrapping material out of the ginnedcotton. The current version of the plastic cover is wrapped a pluralityof times around the seed cotton and relies on stretch film technologyand an adhesive to secure adjacent wraps of the plastic to each other.It will be understood that other suitable techniques for adhering thecover to itself will be apparent to those skilled in the art, such ashigh or low temperature shrink wrapping techniques, heat sealingtechniques, twine, or combinations thereof, and the like. As usedherein, the word adhere or adhered is used to describe any suitabletechnique for securing adjacent wraps of the cover to itself.

The module feeder 10 comprises, as major components, a conveyor 16 fordelivering the cotton modules 12 toward a hopper 18, which acts as or isanalogous to a disperser, where the modules 12 are disintegrated and adevice 20 upstream of the hopper 18 for removing the wrapping 14.

An overriding problem with plastic wrapped cotton modules 12 is that theplastic must be completely removed and not allowed to enter the ginwhere cotton fibers are separated from cotton seed. The reason is thatcotton is used to manufacture threads, yarns and ultimately textiles andthe presence of plastic in the ginned cotton is completely unacceptableto textile manufacturers because it will ruin large batches of producedyarn and/or textiles, mainly because it will not take dyes and othertextile treatments.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, one of the peculiarities of currentgeneration of plastic wrap 14 is that most of it is adhered oradhesively secured to the underlying or overlying material except for atail 22 on the inside of the wrapping 14 which is not adhered to theoverlying wrap. Current round module builders leave about six feet ofunadhered tail 22 in a module of nominal eight foot diameter. The tail22 is unadhered because of the nature of the device that wraps theplastic 14 around the seed cotton. The presence of the tail 22 creates aset of problems in removing the plastic wrapping 14 because the wrapping14 cannot simply be slit because there is a danger that part of the tail22 will be severed from the balance of the plastic wrapping 14 and thesevered tail 22 will enter the gin, get ground up in some manner andthereby become intermingled with cotton fibers making the ginned cottonfibers unsalable or, worse, getting into a textile operation, ruining alarge batch of textiles and creating havoc backwards through the supplychain. It is not a simple matter to adhere the tail 22 to the remainderof the plastic wrapping 14 because of inherent situations in the modulebuilder which cannot readily be cured, at least at the present. Althoughnot shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover 14 overlaps the ends of the module12 so that water cannot wick up into the seed cotton when the module 12is laying on its side. This degree of overlap is currently on the orderof two to four inches.

One peculiarity in the operation of cotton gins is that it is verydesirable to provide a consistent flow of cotton to the gin stands inorder to promote high sustained rates of cotton going through the gin.Although cotton gins have some surge capacity, it is quite limited andthere is no assurance that the surge capacity will be full when there isa reduction in cotton flow from the module feeder toward the gin standscaused by the module feeder. As contrasted to the counterpart copendingapplication, in this invention the provision of the hopper and theability to keep it more-or-less loaded provides more-or-less consistentcotton feed rates regardless of the orientation of the module relativeto the hopper.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 4, it is much preferred to roll thecotton modules 12 into the hopper 18. Accordingly, one of the firstdecisions that needs to be made in the design of this invention is thepath of the conveyor 16 used to transport the modules 12 toward thehopper 18. There are generally three possibilities: (1) place the hopper18 at the end of the conveyor 16 as in FIG. 1 and place the modules 12on the conveyor with the module axis 24 perpendicular to the path ofmovement 26, (2) arrange the conveyor 16 parallel to the hopper 18 andplace the modules 12 on the conveyor so they are end-to-end, as in themodule feeder 28 of FIG. 4 or (3) drop the modules 12 directly into thehopper as shown in FIG. 31.

A problem with picking up and rotating the cotton modules 12 is inpositioning the device 20 so it picks up the module with no overlap,i.e. no attempt is made to pick up the front end of one module and theback end of an adjacent module. The device 20 of FIGS. 1 and 4 isconveniently the same as in copending application Ser. No. 11/350,314and comprises a subsystem to pick up and rotate the module 12, asubsystem to slit the cover 14 and a subsystem to grab the cover 14. Thesubsystems are coordinated to pick up the module 12, rotate it to locatethe tail 22, slit the cover 14 away from the tail 22 and unwrap the slitcover 14 so it does not follow the cotton into the gin.

One of the characteristics of cylindrical modules is that they are thesame length, i.e. from end to end, but vary considerably in diameterdepending on how much cotton is delivered into the wrapping device. Thisallows the pick up subsystem to be made slightly shorter than the lengthof the modules 12. In the module feeder 10 of FIG. 1, a sensor 30 suchas an photocell is provided to detect a side of the module 12. Thegantry and picking up subsystem of copending application Ser. No.11/350,314 is rotated 90° relative to that shown in the copendingapplication because the module 12 is similarly rotated. The sensor 30 isconnected to the motor (not shown) operating the conveyor 16 to stop theconveyor 16 at a suitable position. In the module feeder 28 of FIG. 4,the sensor 30 detects the front of the module 12.

As explained at some length in application Ser. No. 11/350,314, anotherproblem in handling plastic wrapped cylindrical cotton modules 12 isthat the handling or conveying equipment cannot tear the plastic to anysubstantial extent. The reason is that small pieces of plastic, from thetear, tend to separate from the major part of the plastic wrap, enterthe gin and become intermingled with ginned cotton. It will accordinglybe seen that many types of conveying equipment commonly used in handlingconventional rectangular cotton modules are unacceptable when handlingplastic wrapped cotton modules. Although the conveyor 16 is illustratedas a slat type conveyor, it will be appreciated that other types ofconveyors are suitable, provided they do not tear the plastic wrappingto any appreciable extent, such as chain bed conveyor modified toeliminate tearing of the plastic wrap, a roller bed conveyor modified toeliminate tearing of the plastic wrap, a belt conveyor or amoving/walking floor conveyor. It will be apparent that the conveyor 16may be made in one segment or as many segments as are desired.

Another peculiarity of plastic wrapped cylindrical cotton modules isthat the direction of the wrapping will vary. Some of the modules 12will be placed on the conveyor 16 so that the wrap is in one direction,suggested in FIG. 2, and other modules 12 will be placed on the conveyor16 so that the wrap is in the other direction, suggested in FIG. 3.Because of the unadhered tail 22 or because it is decided to unwrap theplastic 14, it is often desirable to be able to accommodate cylindricalplastic wrapped cotton modules where the wrap is in either direction.This may be accomplished before the module 12 is placed on the conveyor16 by orienting the modules 12 in a given direction. It is preferred,however, to design the device 20 to handle modules with the plasticwrapped in either direction and one suitable solution is disclosed incopending application Ser. No. 11/350,314.

Some round modules will be tapered. If a tapered module is rotated inone direction to find an identifying tag and/or to locate the tail, theplastic is slit and then the module is rotated in the same direction,the module tends to wander, i.e. move in the direction of the small endof the taper. This can be avoided by rotating the module in onedirection to find the identifying tag and/or to locate the tail and thenrotate the module in the opposite direction to unwind the plastic.Because all of the operating components are under the control of acomputer 21, it can be programmed to drive the rotating elements inopposite directions.

Given the requirements not to disrupt normal ginning operations and notintroduce plastic into the gin, it will be apparent that manyconstraints are imposed on the design of equipment to remove plasticwrapping from cotton modules.

Because the modules 12 are dumped into the hopper 18 after removing theplastic wrapping 14, and the hopper 18 always has some undigested cottonmodule in it, there is no huge concern about the modules 12 beingabutted on the conveyor 16, as in the device shown in application Ser.No. 11/350,314. Thus, a single stage conveyor 16 is acceptable. If it isdesired to abut the modules 12 near the hopper 18, a two stage conveyormay be used so the inlet conveyor can be run faster than the outletconveyor to reduce any gaps between the conveyors.

The hopper 18 may be of any suitable type such as shown in U.S. Pat.Nos. 2,989,252 or 4,766,648. The hopper 18 is illustrated having anupwardly open housing 32 having a low side 34 adjacent the conveyor 16and a high side 36 lined with a series of disperser drums 38 ofmore-or-less conventional design. The disperser drums 38 comprise alarge stout pipe section 40 from which extend a series of teeth 42. Thepipe sections 40 extend through bearings (not shown) in the ends of thehopper 18 and are rotated by a suitable motor (not shown) and driveconnection (not shown) so that cotton in the module 12 is digested anddrawn through a hopper outlet 44 by a vacuum system (not shown)typically used by cotton gins to deliver cotton clumps from a modulefeeder to the gin stands.

The device 20 for removing the plastic wrap 14 may take severaldifferent approaches. Although it is possible to unwrap the plastic 14from the modules 12, it is currently considered easier to slit theplastic wrapping 14 and then remove it. Accordingly, the device 20comprises, as major components or subsystems, a subsystem for liftingand rotating the modules 12, a slitter 46 for cutting the plasticwrapping 14 and a mechanism 48 for grabbing onto the plastic wrapping 14so the module contents may be dumped or encouraged to fall into thehopper 18 by one mechanism or other.

One approach for raising the module 12 off the conveyor 16, slitting theplastic wrapping 14 and grabbing onto the plastic wrapping 14 is shownin application Ser. No. 11/350,314. In the module feeder 10 of FIG. 1,the only modification of this approach is to rotate the gantry 90°because the modules 12 are similarly rotated. After the plastic wrapping14 is slit and removed from the module 12, the conveyor 16 is actuatedto discharge the module 12 off the end of the conveyor 16 into the opentop of the hopper 18. It will be realized, of course, that the gantryshown in application Ser. No. 11/350,314 need not be moved forwardly atthe same rate of movement as the conveyor because, in this invention,the conveyor 16 may be periodically stopped while the plastic wrap 14 isbeing slit and removed.

For use in the embodiment of FIG. 4, two desirable modifications areindicated. First, a pusher 50 is needed to discharge or encourage themodule contents to fall off the side of the conveyor 16, as shown inFIGS. 4-5. Second, it is preferred that the slitter 46 be positioned toslit the plastic wrap 14 on the side of the module 12 in an area 52 nearthe conveyor 16. This has two advantages. Although some of the cottonmodules are somewhat structurally sound even with the plastic wrappingremoved, many of the modules disintegrate substantially when the plasticwrapping 14 is slit. With these modules, much of the contents willsimply fall off the side of the conveyor 16 into the hopper 18. Inaddition, by slitting the plastic wrapping 14 in the area 52, and byaction of the pusher 50, the plastic wrapping 14 remains for some timeon the conveyor 16, meaning that the plastic wrapping 14 helps cotton tofall off the side of the conveyor 16 rather than collecting on theconveyor 16 and thereby being discharged off the end of the conveyor 16.It will, of course, be evident to those skilled in the art that a vacuumcollection system 54 may be provided at the end of the conveyor 16 inthe embodiment of FIG. 4 to overcome this problem. Although the slitter46 may be arranged to slit the module 12 on one side, e.g. at the 3-4o'clock position, it is preferred to slit the module from about 11 toabout 2 o'clock. One advantage of slitting the module from about 11-2o'clock is that otherwise, the slitter has to be moved, after slittingthe module 12, out of the path of movement of the module 12 as it fallsor is pushed into the hopper 18.

It will accordingly be seen that the pusher 50 includes an enlargedpreferably curved pusher plate 56 pivotally connected to the output rod58 of a hydraulic cylinder 60 which is pivotally mounted to a suitablesupport by trunnions 62 or other similar connection to push the module12 off the conveyor 16 into the hopper 18, preferably over the low side34. A desirable feature of the pusher 50 is a robust reaction member 64between the conveyor 16 and the hopper 18 to act as a fulcrum or supportfor the module 12 to roll off of, rather than reacting against the edgeof the conveyor 16. It will accordingly be seen that the module 12 isreadily pushed off the conveyor 16 into the hopper 18.

Another technique for removing the plastic wrapping 14 is shown in FIGS.7-10. This technique requires a conveyor having openings parallel to thedirection one wishes to rotate the modules 12. In the module feeder 66of FIG. 7, this means the openings have to be perpendicular to thedirection of movement 74, meaning that the conveyor 68 has to be aroller bed conveyor or of a similar type to deliver the modules 12 intoa hopper 70. The conveyor 68 includes a series of first rollers 72 whichare rotatably powered in any suitable fashion for rolling the module 12along a path of movement 74 toward the hopper 70. The rollers 72 aremore-or-less conventional in the sense that the roller axes 76 arestationary although the exterior of the rollers 72 may have small cleats78 to increase friction between the rollers 72 and the modules 12without tearing the cover 14.

Interspersed between the rollers 72 are a series of powered secondrollers 80 which are drivably rotated and in which the roller axes 82are mounted for vertical movement to produce the situations seen inFIGS. 7-10. In FIGS. 7-8, the rollers 72, 80 act as a standard rollerbed conveyor in which both rollers 72, 80 are drivably rotated totransport the modules in the path of movement 74. In FIG. 9, the rollers80 raise the module 12 and rotate it in order to find the tail 22 andposition the module 12 for slitting. In FIG. 10, the rollers 80 havebeen elevated to roll or otherwise discharge the module 12 off the endof the conveyor 68. To these ends, each of the rollers 80 is mounted onthe end of one or more cylinders 84. In FIG. 9, the cylinders 84 aresynchronized in a suitable manner to cause the conveyor 68 to raise androtate the module 12. In FIG. 10, the cylinders 84 are synchronized in asuitable manner to roll or slide the contents of the modules 12 off theend of the conveyor.

It will be seen that the rollers 72 may be driven in any conventionalmanner, e.g. by a chain-sprocket drive. The rollers 80 preferablyinclude an internal motor (not shown) for rotating the outer surface, asdisclosed in Ser. No. 11/350,314 and include one or more cleats 86 forincreasing friction between the module 12 and the rollers 72, 80 withouttearing the plastic cover 14.

As shown in FIG. 9, the module feeder 66 is equipped with a slitter 88to cut the cover 14 and a grasping mechanism 90 to hold the cover 14 asthe module 12 rolls into the hopper 70. Operation of the module feeder66 should now be apparent. The module 12 moves along the path ofmovement 74, either rolling or simply being conveyed depending on thefrictional forces involved, until it reaches the end of the conveyor 68.The location of the module 12 is sensed by a detector 92 which stops theconveyor 68 and initiates movement of the cylinders 84 and rollers 80.As shown in FIG. 9, the rollers 80 accordingly raise and rotate themodule 12 to detect the tail 22, actuate the grabber 90 and actuate theslitter 88, moving it if necessary from a stowed location to anoperative position to cut the cover 14, all as disclosed in copendingapplication Ser. No. 11/350,314. The rollers 80 are then moved to theposition shown in FIG. 10 so the contents of the module 12 roll off, orslide off, into the hopper 70. It will be seen that the contents of themodule 12 are largely prevented from falling through the conveyor 68because a section the cover 14, away from the location where it is slit,is on the underside of the module 12, i.e. between the module 12 and theconveyor rollers 72, 80.

To provide a more certain technique to prevent cotton from fallingbetween the rollers 72, 80, there may be provided a resilient sheet 93or series of flaps, made of rubber or the like, between the stationaryand movable rollers 72, 80. Any cotton collecting on the sheet 93 may becollected in any suitable manner, as by making the sheet 93 slightlyinclined to one side thereby allowing cotton to slide off into acollection device.

An alternate arrangement is shown in FIG. 11 where a conveyor comprisesrollers 94 which remain in a conveying plane and rollers 95 which aremoveable from the conveying plane to a tilted position allowing themodule to roll off into a disperser or hopper. Rigid metal sheets 96extend between the rollers 95 and act in the same manner as theresilient sheets 93 in FIG. 9.

A similar module feeder 98 is illustrated in FIGS. 12-15. The modulefeeder 98 is similar to the module feeder 28 in that the conveyor 99 islocated on the side of the hopper 100 and the module is discharged orrolled off the side of the conveyor 99. In this situation, the conveyor99 is a chain bed conveyor having a series of parallel chains 101extending along the path of movement 102 in elongate grooves 104provided in a bed or plate 106. The chains 100 extend beyond the end ofthe bed 106 to provide gaps for a series of rollers 108, similar to therollers 80, for raising, rotating and then discharging the module 12into the hopper 98.

As shown best in FIGS. 12-13, the module 12 is transported by theconveyor 99 past the end of the bed 106 onto the rollers 108. When it isdesired to locate the tail 22 and then slit the cover 14, fluid isdelivered to hydraulic cylinders 110 to raise the rollers 108 which arepowered by internal hydraulic motors (not shown) to rotate the modules12 to locate the tail 22 and then position the module so the cover 14can be cut by a slitter 112 and grasped by a grabber 114.

Operation of the module feeder 98 should now be apparent. The modules 12are transported by the conveyor 99 to the end of the chains 101 assensed by a sensor 116 which stops the chain bed conveyor 99 and startsoperation of the rollers 108. The cylinders 110 are initially operatedto position the rollers 108 as shown in FIG. 14 where the module 12 isrotated to locate the tail 22 and then operate the slitter 112 to cutthe cover 14. The cylinders 110 are then operated to position therollers 108 in the position shown in FIG. 15 where the contents of themodule 12 roll off or slide off the elevated rollers 108 into the hopper100. It will accordingly be seen that operation of the rollers 108 ismuch the same as operation of the rollers 72.

The slitters usable with this invention may be of any suitable type,such as shown in copending application Ser. No. 11/350,314.

Although the details of the grabbers of this invention may be the sameas in copending application Ser. No. 11/350,314, they may be differentas suggested in FIGS. 16-18 where a module 12 is in the process ofhaving its plastic wrapper 14 removed. After the module is picked up offthe underlying conveyor, in any one of a plurality of manners, themodule 12 is rotated to find the identifying tag 117, which may be ofany suitable type, and/or to locate the tail 22 so the module 12 ispositioned so it may be slit. A slitter 118 of any suitable type islowered so its knives 120 cut the plastic wrap 14 from one end of themodule 12 to the other, providing a leading edge 122 and a trailing edge124. The slitter 118 is then raised out of the way.

In a preferred embodiment, the identifying tag 117 is an RFID device,i.e. a radio frequency identification device. A reader 121 for the RFIDtag 117 is located adjacent the slitter 118. It is preferred to rotatethe module 12 in one direction to locate the tag 117 and then rotate themodule 12 in the opposite direction to unroll the plastic wrap 12. Thus,in FIG. 16, the module 12 is rotated clockwise to locate the tag 117 andthen counterclockwise to unroll the slit plastic wrap 12. With themodule 12 being rotated in a clockwise direction, a potential problemwith using an RFID tag 117 in this situation is that the reader 121 isprone to detect the tag 117 at an 8-9 o'clock position as suggested inFIG. 16. This occasionally causes the computer 21 to assume that the tag117 is at a 10-11 o'clock position and cause the computer 21 to operatethe slitter 118 so the unadhered tail 22 is cut off. To avoid the reader121 from prematurely detecting the RFID tag 117, the slitter 118 islowered toward the module 12 a suitable distance, e.g. two feet, tointerpose between the reader 121 and the tag 117 before rotation of themodule 12 begins. In other words, the slitter 118 is used to cast ashadow over the module 12 and thereby prevent the tag 117 from beingsensed prematurely. By appropriately positioning the slitter 118, or anyother shiftable member, the RFID reader 121 becomes more directional. Itis preferred that the tag 117 be sensed consistently at the 10-11o'clock position.

In one embodiment, the slitter 118 includes wheels 119 that abut themodule 12 and thereby position the rotatable cutting wheels or knives120 appropriately relative to the plastic wrap 14. An important featureof the slitter 118 is that it is moved parallel to the axis 24 of themodule 12 so that the wheel 119 runs off the end of the module 12 to cutthat portion of the plastic wrap 14 that overlaps the end of the module12. This allows the cutting wheel 120 to slit the overlapped end of theplastic wrap 14 without having to cut deeply into the cotton inside theplastic wrap 14.

In a preferred embodiment, the slitter 118 includes a range finder 123that determines the distance to the module 12 and thereby manipulates amotor (not shown) or other suitable moving device to lower the slitter118 to the module 12. Although the range finder 123 may be of anysuitable type, it is preferably a laser range finder such as isavailable from IFM Efector, Inc. of Exton, Pa. as a model 01D100. Inuse, the range finder 123 determines the location of the surface of themodule 12 and thereby moves the slitter 118 up and down to maintain adesired cutting position of the cutting wheels or knives 120 relative tothe module 12. Thus, the range finder 123 causes the slitter 118 tofollow the contour of the module 12 which is of importance becausemodules 12 are prone to have humps, bumps and hollows or be tapered. Ifthe cutting wheel 120 is inserted too far into the module 12, there is atendency of the wheel 120 to scorch cotton fibers in the module therebypreventing a danger of fire. If the cutting wheel 120 is raised too faraway from the module 12, it is ineffective to slit the plastic wrap 14.By using the range finder 123 to adjust the position of the slitter 118as it is slicing the plastic wrap 14, these problems are obviated.

A grabber 126 is provided to grasp the slit plastic wrap 14 and pull itoff or encourage it to unwrap from the module 12 during rotation of themodule 12 in the direction shown by the arrow 128. The normal positionof the grabber 126 is up and out of the way of the module 12. Before thegrabber 126 is operated, the slitter 118 is lowered so the knives 120cut the plastic wrap 14 and the slitter 118 is then raised to an out ofthe way position. Then, the grabber 126 is lowered from its frame 130,as by unwinding winches 132, 134 or with hydraulic cylinders (not shown)so a pair of forward conveyors 136, 137 approach the plastic wrap 14slightly spaced from the leading edge 122 as suggested in FIG. 16.

The conveyor 136 includes a pair of retractable guide wheel assemblies138 which are normally retracted as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 to allowthe slitter 118 to be lowered to the module 12 without interfering withthe wheel assemblies 138. When the slitter 118 has been moved upwardlyout of the way, the wheel assemblies 138 are extended forwardly as shownby a comparison of FIGS. 17 and 18, as by the use of hydraulic orpneumatic cylinders 140 mounted on brackets 142 to a frame 144 of theconveyor 136. To this end, the wheel assemblies 138 include a pivotconnection 146 to the frame 144 and an arm 148 which may be bent toprovide the necessary clearance and/or reach on which is rotatablymounted a wheel 150. The arms 148 are pivoted to the position shown inFIG. 18 into engagement with the module 12 and the cylinder 140 is thenlocked at the end of its stroke, as by closing its inlet and/or outletvalve (not shown). When the module 12 is rotated in the direction shownby the arrow 128, the wheels 150 roll on the plastic wrap 14 assuggested by the dotted lines in FIG. 16 and thereby move the front endof the conveyor 136 to track the shape of the module 12. This isimportant because the round bales often have a flat spot on one sidewhere they have contacted the ground and because the exterior of themodule often includes irregular bumps and valleys. It will be seen thatthe guide wheels 150 contact the plastic wrap 14 and raise or lower thefront end of the conveyors 136, 137 so they are always positioned, in asimple manner, to receive the leading edge 122 of the plastic wrap 14.In the alternative, a laser range finder similar to range finder 123 maybe used, in conjunction with the computer 21 and suitable motors (notshown) to control the height of the grabber 126 rather than using themechanical action of the wheels 150.

The grabber 126 includes a pair of rear superposed conveyors 152, 154similar to the conveyor 136 raised and lowered by the winch 132. Theconveyor 136 may be independent of the conveyors 152, 154 or may beganged together by a link 156 so the front conveyor 136 may pivotrelative to the rear conveyors 152, 154. This is an important feature ofthe grabber 126 because allowing the lower forward conveyor 136 to pivotfreely allows the wheels 150 to follow the exterior of the round bale 12thereby correctly positioning the inlet end of the conveyor 136 relativeto the slit ends 122, 124 of the bale 12.

The broad idea is for the conveyor 136 to separate the leading edge 122of the plastic wrap 14 and propel or encourage it to move in apredetermined path so the plastic wrap 14 is removed from the module 12during rotation of the module 12. To this end, the conveyor 136preferably includes several side-by-side endless belts 158 driven abouta suitable forward shaft 159 and having vertical flaps 160 thereonacting like paddles. Fixed on the ends of the shaft 159 and between theadjacent belts 158 are a series of serrated wheels 161 that engage theplastic wrap 14 and provide a substantial frictional force peeling theforward end 122 of the plastic wrap 14 away from the bale 12. As theleading edge 122 is rotated under the conveyor 136, the flaps 160 andserrated wheels 161 are moving in the opposite direction as suggested bythe arrow 162 thereby separating the plastic wrap 14 from the module 12and moving it on top of the conveyor 136 and below the conveyor 137. Itis desired that the flaps 160 and serrated wheels 161 engage the forwardend 122 of the wrap 14 and not the rearward end 124. Depending on thelocation of the slitter 118 and the location of the cut relative to thegrabber 126, it may be necessary to rotate the bale 12 slightly after itis slit. As the plastic wrap 14 moves off the conveyor 136, it passesbetween the over-and-under conveyors 152, 154 and is discharged to theside of the frame 130 in a storage area or bin 164.

It has been learned that the rigidity of the flappers 160 has someeffect on the operation of the grabber 126. In the absence of theserrated wheels 161, it is preferred that the flappers 160 on theforward conveyors 136, 137 be more rigid than the flappers 160 on therearward conveyors 152, 154.

It will be seen that the grabber 126 is capable of articulated movementin the sense that the elevation of the rear conveyors 152, 154 can beadjusted by the winch 132 independently of the winch 134. This is ofadvantage when the construction of doors (not shown) preventing cottonfrom falling off to the side are high enough to interfere with loweringthe grabber 126 to reach a module of smaller than full diameter. Becausethe forward conveyors 136, 137 are pivoted by the link 156 to therearward conveyors 152, 154, the forward conveyors 136, 137 are capableof reaching a smaller than normal diameter module.

It will be apparent that the various embodiments of the grabbers and/orthe slitters are equally usable in the device shown in application Ser.No. 11/350,314.

An important feature of this invention is shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5.After the plastic wrap 14 has been slit and removed from the module 12,the cotton previously encapsulated in the plastic wrap 14 is no longerconstrained. Sometimes, the module stays remarkably intact. Sometimes,the module falls apart with the cotton flowing where it will. Most ofthe time, there is a middle ground where the cotton simply slumps inplace or there is a core of compacted cotton with the remainder flowingwhere it will. It will be seen there is a need to constrain cotton fromflowing off the conveyor 16 in an undesired direction after the plasticwrap 14 has been slit. To this end, the embodiment of FIG. 1 includes apair of parallel vertical walls 166, 168 immediately adjacent the edgeof the conveyor 16. The embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 includes a pair ofperpendicular walls 170, 172 for this purpose, the wall 172 merging withthe side of the hopper 18.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, there is illustrated a conveyor 174,analogous to the conveyor 136, having slightly different wheelassemblies 176 which are normally retracted as shown in FIG. 19 to allowa slitter to be lowered to the module 12 without interfering with thewheel assemblies 176. When the slitter has been moved upwardly out ofthe way, the wheel assemblies 176 are extended forwardly as shown by acomparison of FIGS. 19 and 20, as by the use of hydraulic or pneumaticcylinders 178 mounted on brackets 180 to a frame 182 of the conveyor174. To this end, the wheel assemblies 176 include a pivot connection184 to the frame 182 and an arm 186 which may be bent to provide thenecessary clearance and/or reach on which is rotatably mounted a wheel188. The arms 186 are pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 20 intoengagement with the module 12 and the cylinder 178 is then locked at theend of its stroke, as by closing its inlet and/or outlet valve (notshown). When the module 12 is rotated in the direction shown by thearrow 128, the wheels 188 roll on the plastic wrap 14 as suggested bythe dotted lines in FIG. 15 and thereby move the front end of theconveyor 174 to track the shape of the module 12. This is importantbecause the round bales often have a flat spot on one side where theyhave contacted the ground and because the exterior of the module oftenincludes irregular bumps and valleys. It will be seen that the guidewheels 188 contact the plastic wrap 14 and raise or lower the front endof the conveyor 174 so it is always positioned, in a simple manner, toreceive the leading edge 122 of the plastic wrap 14. It will accordinglybe seen that the guide assemblies 176 move in a plane that isessentially parallel to the conveyor 174 while the guide assemblies 138move in a plane essentially perpendicular to the conveyor 136.

Referring to FIGS. 21-22, there is illustrated another embodiment of amodule feeder 190 of this invention. The module feeder 190 comprises aconveyor 192 of any suitable type for conveying the module 12 toward adischarging position adjacent a hopper 194. Instead of raising themodule 12 and locating the tail 22 in order not to amputate it, agrappler 196 is provided to impale the plastic cover 14. To this end,the grappler 196 comprises a plurality of pairs of curved spikes 198which impale the plastic cover 14 when advanced downwardly intoengagement with the module 12, as by the use of hydraulic cylinders 200,202. An actuating mechanism 204 is provided to manipulate the spikes 198between an open position shown in FIG. 21 and a closed position wherethe spikes impale the plastic cover 14.

The grappler 198 is preferably moved into engagement with the module 12and the spikes 198 closed to impale the plastic cover 14 before theslitter 206 is lowered to slit the cover 14 from end to end. The conceptis that the grappler 196 will so thoroughly grasp the plastic cover 14that the module contents can be rolled off the position shown in FIG. 21into the hopper 194. In this manner, the module 12 does not have to beraised and the tail 22 does not have to be located because the grappler196 is securely holding the tail 22, however small.

A pusher 208 similar to the pusher 50 accordingly pushes on the plasticcover 14 and thereby pushes the module contents toward the hopper 194.Because the slitter 206 cuts the plastic cover 14 as close as possibleto the spikes 198 at a location about 12 o'clock, a substantial lengthof the plastic cover 14 unfolds on the runway 210 thereby assisting themodule contents to fall into the hopper 194 rather than fall through theconveyor 192.

Referring to FIGS. 23-28, there is illustrated another module feeder 220comprising another embodiment of this invention. The module feeder 220most closely resembles the embodiment of FIG. 1 of copending applicationSer. No. 11/350,314 but includes a number of new and improved features.The module feeder 220 comprises, as major components, a conveyor 222 fortransporting the round module 12, a device 224 for picking up the module12 and rotating it, a slitter 226 for cutting the plastic wrap 14, agrabber 228 for removing the plastic wrap 14 from the module 12, and adisperser 230 for disintegrating the module 12 after the plastic wrap 14has been removed.

The conveyor 222 may be of any suitable type as previously mentioned andacts to transport a series of the modules 12 toward the disperser 230along a path 232.

The slitter 226 and the grabber 228 may be of any of the types disclosedabove. Although the slitter 226 and grabber 228 may use only one rangefinder, as shown in FIG. 24, the slitter 226 and grabber 228 arepreferably both equipped with range finders 234, 236 to determine thedistance between the operative elements of the slitter and grabber andthe round module 12. In this event, the range finder on the grabber 228often produces erroneous measurements when the plastic wrap 14 is beingremoved from the module 12. As shown by dashed lines in FIG. 24, whenthe plastic wrap 14 is being removed from the module 12, it assumes anupwardly inclined position. The range finder 236 often assumes that itis reading the periphery of the round module 12 when, in fact, it isreading the inclined plastic wrap, which is larger than the module 12.When using two range finders, it is usually preferably to control thevertical position of the grabber 228, beginning at a time at least whenthe plastic wrap 14 becomes inclined.

Also as suggested in FIG. 24, the slitter 226 and grabber 228 areindependently raised and lowered in any suitable manner. It is preferredthat this mechanism be identical for both the slitter 226 and thegrabber 228. A particularly suitable technique is to provide a pair ofsleeves 238 slidable up and down on vertical columns 240 on each side ofa gantry 242. The sleeves 238 are connected by a beam 244 while aperpendicular beam 246 extends over the conveyor 222. The slitter 226and grabber 228 are supported by suitable rigid braces 248 or othersuitable elements from the beam 246.

Referring to FIG. 25, there is illustrated a mechanism for raising andlowering the slitter or any one of the grabbers. The sleeves 238 aremounted for vertical movement on one of the columns 240 of the gantry242 and are raised and lowered by a mechanism 250 comprising a motorassembly 252 and a chain drive assembly 254. The motor assembly 252includes a suitable motor 256, preferably hydraulic. The motor 256 isdriven by high pressure fluid delivered from a pump 258 through a highpressure inlet line 260 having a solenoid control valve 262 and a checkvalve 264 mounted directly on the end of the motor 256. A hydraulicreturn line 266 delivers hydraulic fluid to a reservoir 268 incommunication with the pump inlet.

The motor output shaft 270 delivers power to a sprocket 272. A brake 274is spring biased into engagement with the shaft 270 so the brake 274 isnormally set against the shaft 270. A hydraulic release cylinder 276releases the brake 274 through a line 278 when pump pressure appears inthe line 260. It will accordingly be seen that the location of the checkvalve 264 and the shaft brake 274 constitute safety features preventing,or minimizing, injury in the event the line 260 fails.

A chain 280 extends over the sprocket 272 and meshes with a sprocket 282rotating a shaft 284 mounted for rotation by bearings 286 mounted on oneof the upper beams 288 of the gantry 242. Sprockets 290 are mounted onthe shaft 284 and mesh with chains 292. The chains 292 extend over thetop of the sprocket 290 and pass through an opening near the top of thecolumn 240, across a bearing near the bottom of the column 240 and thenout through an opening near the bottom of the column 240. Each end thechain 292 connects to its associated sleeve 238. It will be seen thatrotation of the shaft 284 rotates the sprockets 290 and moves the chain290 to slide the sleeve 238 upwardly or downwardly. To hide the chains292 and prevent someone from getting snagged, the chain 292 may behoused inside a conventional flexible bellows 294 such as is availablefrom Heeco Protekto Boots of Tampa, Fla.

The slitter 226 and unwrapper 228 are accordingly raised and lowered bypreferably identical devices, specifically the chain drive mechanism ofFIG. 25. A shaft encoder 296 on each of the motor shafts 272 delivers asignal to the computer 21 which, when taking into account signals fromthe range finders 234, 236, allows the slitter 226 and the unwrapper 228to be lowered into juxtaposition to the module 12 being worked upon.Thus, there is a feedback loop between the drive mechanism 250 and theslitter 226, and between the drive mechanism 250 and the unwrapper 228,that controls raising and lowering of the slitter 226 and unwrapper 228rather than simply relying on the opening of a valve.

As shown in FIG. 25, the check valve 264 is immediately adjacent themotor 256 to prevent the slitter 226 or the unwrapper 228 from fallingin the event the hose 260 fails. There are two related problems: (1) ifthe hose 260 fails between the motor 256 and the check valve 264, theslitter 226 or unwrapper 228 falls and (2) if the hose 260 failsupstream of the check valve 264, it is possible that the load of theslitter 226 or unwrapper 228 is greater than can be held by the checkvalve 264. The shaft brake 274 minimizes this problem. The shaft brake274 is applied each time the slitter 226 or unwrapper 228 is brought toa halt. In order to move the slitter or unwrapper, the brake 274 isreleased by the application of hydraulic pressure to the motor 256thereby causing the cylinder 276 to release the brake 274 so the outputshaft 270 can turn when the control valve 262 is opened. This preventsthe cutter or unwrapper from falling in the event the hose 260 failswhen the cutter or unwrapper are stationary. Information from the shaftencoder 296 may be used by the computer 21 to actuate the brake 274 ifthe shaft 272 starts to turn faster than a preselected limit, either byreducing pressure in the conduit 260 or in a more direct manner, as byventing the conduit 278. The range finder on the various slitters haveanother safety function. In the event the range finders sense that theslitters are moving too fast in a downward direction, i.e. they arefalling, this information may be used by the computer 21 to set theshaft brake 274 in any suitable manner.

Referring to FIG. 26, the slitter 226 has a photoelectric eye 300 orsimilar sensor looking upstream, i.e. toward the inlet of the conveyor222, and a photoelectric eye 302 or similar sensor looking downstream,i.e. toward the disperser 230. The purpose is to detect an obstructionand prevent damage to the cutter blade 304 from cutting through theobstruction and thereby prevent damage to the cutter blade 304. Theobstruction is normally a module upstream or downstream of the one beingworked on. Typically, the module being worked on is a small diametermodule and the obstruction is a full sized module that is upstream ordownstream. In the event an obstruction is detected, the computer 21causes the mechanism moving the slitter 226 to reverse movement of theslitter 226 in the direction it is moving and provide an indication tothe operator that there is a problem. In this event, control of movementof the slitter 226 passes to the operator at the control panel 21.

Referring again to FIG. 23, the gantry 242 moves toward and away fromthe disperser 230 by hydraulically powered wheels 306 rather than beingpushed by an extensible hydraulic motor. The gantry 242 may be eithertwo wheel drive or four wheel drive as conditions dictate.

Referring to FIG. 27, the gantry 242 will be recognized from FIG. 23 andfrom the showing in copending application Ser. No. 11/350,314, filedFeb. 3, 2006. It is desirable to move the arms 308 and rollers 310 sothe module 12 is raised and lowered without tearing the plastic wrap 14.In one embodiment, this may be done by fixing the speed at which thearms 308 move and by fixing the rate of rotation of the rollers 310 sothe rollers 308 roll on the plastic wrap 14 rather than slide relativeto it. In a preferred embodiment, a shaft encoder 312 is placed on ashaft of one or more of the rollers 310 on each of the arms 308.Preferably, the shaft encoder is on only one upper roller of each arm308 so electrical wiring can readily be extended to it. Information fromthe shaft encoders is delivered to the computer 21 so when the arms 284are moving at any speed, the rollers 286, 288 can be driven at a speedto accomplish rolling movement on the plastic wrap 14. In other words,the arms 284 can be pivoted toward or away from each other at a varietyof speeds and the rollers 286, 288 are driven at a speed so there is norelative movement between the plastic wrap 14 and the periphery of therollers 286, 288.

Referring again to FIGS. 23 and 27, in previous embodiments, the modules12 were butted against each other on the conveyor 222 as they pass underthe gantry 242. In the earlier embodiments, the concept was to pick up amodule 12 from between adjacent modules, remove the wrapper 14 from themodule 12 and then set the module 12 down in the same relative placebetween its abutted modules. The purpose is to promote relatively evencotton input into the disperser 230. By changing the software in thecomputer 21, and therefore changing the actuation of the conveyor 222,the arms 308, the slitter 226 and the like, the modules 12 do not haveto be butted together as they pass under the gantry 242. Instead, amodule 12 which has had the plastic wrap 14 removed can be buttedagainst an upstream module and accomplish the same thing, i.e. promoterelatively even cotton input into the disperser 230. In this embodiment,an input conveyor upstream of the conveyor 222 is manipulated to providea larger gap between modules 12 so a sensor, such as a laser rangefinder similar to range finders 234, 236, can more readily detect thegap between adjacent modules.

A great deal of effort has been spent to make a mechanical grabber forpulling the plastic wrap 14 off the module 12 without human assistance.Some of the embodiments work better than others but none of them haveworked perfectly for long periods of time. Referring to FIG. 28 anelevated platform 314 is mounted on a side of the gantry 242 where thegrabber is located in previous embodiments. A worker or two pulls theplastic wrap 14 off the module 12 after it has been slit. The platform314 is provided at an elevation where it is convenient for the worker tolean over the upper roller 310 of one of the arms 308 and grasp the cutplastic wrap 14 so that when the module 12 is rotated, the plasticunrolls off the top of the module 12 as shown in FIG. 27. An importantfeature of this embodiment is the workers do not have to manhandle themodules 12, which weigh in the neighborhood of 5,000 pounds. Because themodule 12 is rotated by the rollers 310, the workers simply have to getthe slit wrapping 14 started in the right direction and guide it towarda refuse container 316. A weight sensitive mat 318 is preferablyinstalled on the platform 314 and provides a wire 320 connected to thecomputer 21 to provide an input signifying the presence or absence of aworker on the platform 314. Normally, operation of the device 224proceeds automatically when no one is present on the mat 318, i.e. underthe control of the computer 21. However, when the time in the cyclecomes that the plastic wrap 14 has been slit and the module 12 is readyto be rotated to remove the plastic wrap 14, continued computercontrolled operation of the device 224 stops unless a worker is presenton the platform 318. In other words, when the time comes to remove theplastic wrap 14 by rotating the module 12 in the direction shown by thearrow 322, the device 224 does not proceed unless a signal appears onthe wire 320 showing the presence of a worker on the platform 314. Inaddition, a kill switch 322 is provided on the platform so a worker canmanually stop operation of the device 224 in the event a problem occurs.

Referring to FIGS. 29 and 30, a tractor or powered vehicle 324 such as afront end loader includes a mobile wheeled powered frame 326 having arms328 pivoted to the frame 326 controlled by hydraulic cylinders 330. Animplement 332 on the arms 328 is much like the arms 308 and poweredrollers 310 shown in FIG. 27 so the vehicle 324 can raise, rotate anddischarge round modules 12 in much the same manner that the gantry 242does. The implement 332 accordingly comprises arms 334 pivoted about ahorizontal axis 336 under the control of suitable hydraulic cylinders338 and a series of powered rollers 340 which are synchronized withmovement of the arms 334 so the rollers 340 roll but do not slide on theplastic wrap of the module 12. In this manner, the rollers 340 do nottear the plastic wrap and minimize or prevent plastic from entering thegin.

The implement 332 is conveniently mounted on the arms 328 by a swivel342 for rotation about a vertical axis 344 and the angular positioncontrolled in a suitable manner, as by the provision of a hydrauliccylinder (not shown) or by making the swivel 342 as part of a rotaryhydraulic motor capable of limited rotation, e.g. only 90°, so themodule 12 can be rotated 90° so the module 12 may be rotated from theposition shown in FIG. 29 to the position shown in FIG. 30 therebyallowing the loader 324 to approach a conveyor 346 either parallel to orperpendicular to the axis 348 of the conveyor 346. The conveyor 346leads to a disperser or hopper 350.

The cover 14 is removed from the module 12 by raising the module 12 offthe underlying surface, rotating the module 12 to locate the tag 117 andthereby locate the unadhered tail 22, slitting the cover 14 on theunderside of the module 12 and opening the arms 334 to discharge thecontents of the module 12 onto the conveyor 346.

FIG. 31 shows another embodiment in which the loader 324 may be used. Acotton gin may be equipped with one or more hoppers 352 of the typeshown in FIG. 1, 4 or 5. The loader 324 lifts the module 12 off theunderlying surface, transports it to the hopper 352 and, at somelocation between its stowed position and the hopper 352, slits theplastic wrap 14. Contents of the module 12 are discharged directly intothe hopper 352, meaning that no conveyor 346 is required.

Although this invention has been disclosed and described in itspreferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understoodthat the present disclosure of the preferred forms is only by way ofexample and that numerous changes in the details of operation and in thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

1. A method of operating a cotton gin using round cotton modules asfeedstock, the cotton modules having ends, a generally round surfacebetween the ends and an axis extending through the ends, the cotton ginhaving a conveyor upstream of means for digesting cotton modules, theconveyor having a direction of movement generally toward the digestingmeans, comprising placing the round cotton modules on the conveyor withthe axes generally parallel to the direction of movement, and rollingthe round cotton modules off the conveyor laterally of the direction ofmovement.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the digesting means comprisesa hopper having means therein for disintegrating the module into cottonclumps and further comprising disintegrating the module in the hopper.3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of placing the round cottonmodules on the conveyor comprises placing a plurality of the roundcotton modules on the conveyor in juxtaposed position.
 4. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the step of rolling the cotton modules off the conveyorcomprises pushing round cotton modules off the conveyor.
 5. A modulefeeder, comprising a digester for disintegrating round cotton modules; aconveyor for delivering the round modules in a direction of movementgenerally toward the digester; and a mechanism for rolling the modulesoff the conveyor in a direction transverse to the direction of movement.6. The module feeder of claim 5 wherein the digester comprises a hopper,laterally of the conveyor, having means therein for disintegrating themodule into cotton clumps.
 7. The module feeder of claim 5 wherein therolling mechanism includes a pusher laterally of the conveyor.
 8. Themodule feeder of claim 5 wherein the conveyor includes spaced apartconveying mechanisms and the rolling mechanism includes a pusher underthe conveyor and extendable between the conveying mechanisms.